You can also add other [[Compiz_fusion#Manually_.28without_.22fusion-icon.22.29|command-line options]] to your .xinitrc

You can also add other [[Compiz_fusion#Manually_.28without_.22fusion-icon.22.29|command-line options]] to your .xinitrc

Line 442:

Line 442:

Or if using fusion-icon, configure .xinitrc as

Or if using fusion-icon, configure .xinitrc as

{{hc|~/.xinitrc|<nowiki>

{{hc|~/.xinitrc|<nowiki>

−

exec ck-launch-session fusion-icon

+

exec fusion-icon

</nowiki>}}

</nowiki>}}

Line 449:

Line 449:

tint2 &

tint2 &

cairo-dock &

cairo-dock &

−

exec ck-launch-session fusion-icon

+

exec fusion-icon

</nowiki>}}

</nowiki>}}

{{Note| Add a terminal-emulator to this autostart list while starting for the first time to help [[Compiz_fusion#Configuration|configure]] compiz.}}

{{Note| Add a terminal-emulator to this autostart list while starting for the first time to help [[Compiz_fusion#Configuration|configure]] compiz.}}

Line 479:

Line 479:

And add it to .xinitrc, like this:

And add it to .xinitrc, like this:

{{hc|~/.xinitrc|<nowiki>

{{hc|~/.xinitrc|<nowiki>

−

exec ck-launch-session /path/to/file/start-fusion.sh

+

exec /path/to/file/start-fusion.sh

</nowiki>}}

</nowiki>}}

Line 496:

Line 496:

If it still does not work, enter the Viewport Switcher menu, and change "Plugin for initiate action" to core (NOTE: for versions 0.8.2+ it's 'commands' instead of 'core'), and "Action name for initiate" to run_command0_key.

If it still does not work, enter the Viewport Switcher menu, and change "Plugin for initiate action" to core (NOTE: for versions 0.8.2+ it's 'commands' instead of 'core'), and "Action name for initiate" to run_command0_key.

−

An alternative is to use [https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=29564 mygtkmenu], also in [[AUR]].

compiz-decorator-gtk and compiz-decorator-kde are alternatives to emerald and uses your desktop environment's configuration backends and looks.

'Unsupported' Plugins

compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupport is available from the AUR. It is versioned 0.8.4 but works fine with 0.8.6. It includes the 'Tile' plugin.

Configuration

Activate important plugins!

Before you do anything else, you will want to activate a few plugins that provide basic window manager behavior or else you will have no ability to drag, scale or close any windows as soon as compiz is activated. Among those plugins are "Window Decoration" under Effects and "Move Window" & "Resize Window" under Window Management. Ccsm may be used to achieve this.

Launch CompizConfig Settings Manager:

$ ccsm

Simply put check marks next to those plugins to activate them.

Note: While the appearance of the windows and their contents is a function of GTK+ and Qt, the frames around the windows are controlled by the Window Decoration plugin. To use it make sure you have a window decorator installed. Depending on what packages you have downloaded you can choose among several window decorators. The most common ones are Emerald, kde-window-decorator, and gtk-window-decorator. The emerald decorator has the advantage that it fits better to compiz's screen handling and offers transparency effects.To set your default window decorator type the following command string in the "Window Decoration" plugin's settings under the field "Command".

Starting Compiz Fusion

Manually (with "fusion-icon")

Right click on the icon in the panel and go to 'select window manager'. Choose "Compiz" if it isn't selected already, and you should be set.

If this fails you can start compiz-fusion by using the following additional command to replace your default window decorator with Compiz's window decorator (Emerald):

$ emerald --replace

Again, note: If you want to use compiz window decorations make sure you have the "Window Decoration" plugin marked in the compiz settings through ccsm.

Manually (without "fusion-icon")

Launch Compiz with the following command (which replaces your current window manager):

$ compiz --replace ccp &

A quick overview over common compiz command-line options:

--indirect-rendering: use indirect-rendering (AIGLX)

--loose-binding: can help performance issues (nVidia?)

--replace: replace current window-manager

--keep-window-hints: keep the gnome window-manager gconf-settings for available viewports, ...

--sm-disable: disable session-management

ccp: the "ccp" command loads the last configured settings from ccsm (CompizConfig Settings Manager) otherwise Compiz will load with no settings and you won't be able to do anything with your windows like dragging, maximizing/minimizing, or moving.

KDE

Autostart (with "fusion-icon")

Add a symbolic link, that points to the fusion-icon executable, in your KDE Autostart directory (generally located in ~/.kde/Autostart):

Autostart (without "fusion-icon")

Method 1 - Autostart Link

You can ensure that Compiz Fusion will always start at login by appending a desktop entry to the KDE Autostart directory. If it doesn't already exist (it should), create the file ~/.kde/Autostart/compiz.desktop with the following contents:

If you want to use the optional fusion-icon application, launch fusion-icon. If you log out normally with fusion-icon running, KDE should restore your session and launch fusion-icon the next time you log in if this setting is enabled. If it doesn't appear to be working, ensure you have the following line in ~/.kde/share/config/ksmserverrc:

Method 2 - export KDEWM (Preferred Method)

As root you must create a short script by doing the following in your terminal. This will allow you to load compiz with the switches because doing it directly via export KDEWM="compiz --replace ccp --sm-disable" doesn't seem to work.

Method 3 - Use KDE 4 System Settings

Go to System Settings --> Default Applications --> Window Manager --> Use a different window manager

If you need to run compiz with custom options select "Compiz custom" (when you run fusion-icon from a terminal you can see the command line with which compiz was started).
Create a file called "compiz-kde-launcher" in your /usr/bin directory. Then make the file executable: "chmod +x /usr/bin/compiz-kde-launcher".
Here is an example for compiz-kde-launcher:

The gnome-session-compiz package in AUR can be used to add an additional menu entry in the GNOME session login dialog. This method does not require foced fallback mode and/or modifications to sensitive system files/settings. Also, you can switch between GNOME Shell and Compiz/Cairo-Dock between sessions. If you can't get it working, you can always go back to your original GNOME session.

For this method to work, Compiz and Cairo-Dock (Taskbar/Panel) may have to be configured initially for fresh accounts, from another working session (ccsm in GNOME Shell worked fine for me).

This method completely replaces the GNOME's window manager and panel (they are not launched at all, rather than being replaced or killed later). So, before actually switching to this alternate session, you may want to configure corresponding/alternate features of the original panel application in Cairo-Dock:

Add Application Menu icon to Cairo-Dock and remember its key-bindings.

Remap Application Menu key-bindings to ALT+F1 and ALT+F2, for convenience.

Add Clock, WiFi, NetSpeed icons to the dock as applicable.

Add Log-out icon:

Set the command for logout to "gnome-session-quit --logout"

Set the command for shutdown to "gnome-session-quit --power-off"

Add the Notification Area Old (systray) icon to Cairo-Dock.

Autostart (without "fusion-icon") (Preferred Method)

This Method makes use of the Desktop Entry Specification to specify a Compiz Desktop Entry and of the GConf default windowmanager setting. Thanks to the Desktop Entry you should be able to select Compiz as a windowmanager out of GDM.

as noted in the forum. You can also add the extra parameters as described above if needed.

2) Set some GConf parameters using the gconftool-2 command in a terminal window or do it visually with Configuration Editor (gconf-editor). The following outlines using the command line method, but you can also see which keys to change using gconf-editor:

The following are optional and in most cases not necessary (the respective keys are deprecated since GNOME 2.12). But iny any case, if the above didn't succeed the next two statements are still valid and should be tried.

When you're done hit the Add button. You should now see your startup program in the list in the Startup Programs tab. It must be checked to be enabled. You can uncheck it to disable Compiz on startup and switch back to Metacity.

You may also need to use the gconftool-2 command in a terminal window to set the following parameter, otherwise fusion-icon might not load the windows decorator.

As a Standalone Window Manager

The package compiz-core by itself is sufficient to start using compiz-fusion. However ccsm and emerald (or another window-decorator) are additional highly recommended packages. You may install fusion-icon, compiz-fusion-plugins-main, compiz-fusion-plugins-extra or any other package later on at any time.

Feel free to use a different panel, tray, or start a whole bunch of applications with your session.
See this forum thread for more info.

Note: Using a separate script instead of running everything from xinitrc is the only way to let all launching applications use ConsoleKit: see this article.

Add a root menu

To add a root menu similar to that in Openbox, Fluxbox, Blackbox etc. you must install the package compiz-deskmenu from the AUR.
Upon a restart of Compiz-Fusion, you should be able to middle click on your desktop to launch the menu.

If it does not automatically work, enter the CompizConfig Settings Manager, and in Commands tab, within the General Settings menu, ensure that there is a command to launch Compiz-Deskmenu, and the appropriate key binding is set to Control+Space.

If it still does not work, enter the Viewport Switcher menu, and change "Plugin for initiate action" to core (NOTE: for versions 0.8.2+ it's 'commands' instead of 'core'), and "Action name for initiate" to run_command0_key.

Misc

Configuration

Using compiz-manager

In order to use compiz-manager, you need to install it from community:

pacman -S compiz-manager

Compiz-manager, that is now installed in /usr/bin/compiz-manager, is a simple wrapper for Compiz and ALL of its options. For example, you can run

compiz-manager

and see what the console returns for more info. You can use it in all the scripts that start Compiz. Very simple!

Using gtk-window-decorator

In order to use gtk-window-decorator, install the package compiz-decorator-gtk and select "GTK Window Decorator" instead of "Emerald" as your window decorator in fusion-icon or whatever other program you are using to configure compiz.

gconf: Additional Compiz Configurations

To achieve more satisfying results from Compiz, you can tweak its config with gconf-editor:

$ gconf-editor

Note that now compiz-core isn't built with gconf support; It is now built with gconf support through compiz-decorator-gtk. So, you need to install it if you want to use gconf-editor to edit your Compiz configuration.
The Compiz gconf configuration is located in in the key apps > compiz > general > allscreens > options.

"Active plugins" is where you specify the plugins you would like to use. Simply edit the key and add a value(refer to the key apps > compiz > plugins to see possible values). Plugins I’ve found useful are screenshot, png, fade, and minimize. Please do not remove those enabled by default.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Default plugin keyboard shortcuts (plugins have to be activated!)

Switch windows = Alt + Tab

Switch desktops on cube = Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right Arrow

Move window = Alt + left-click

Resize window = Alt + right-click

A more detailed list can be found under CommonKeyboardShortcuts in the Compiz wiki or you can always just look at your plugin's configuration (ccsm).

ATI R600/R700 Notes

While using fusion-icon you shouldn't experience any problems because it takes care of everything for you, but if you are using one of the autostart methods that do not involve fusion-icon you will run into trouble. For example when using the Xfce autostart method without fusion icon you must edit ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml per the instructions above. However, if you follow the directions above explicity you will find that compiz does not load. You must instead make your xfce4-session.xml file look like this

This example targeted Xfce specifically, but it can be adapted to any desktop environment. It's just a matter of figuring out how to add it to the proper config file. The key thing is the required command which if typed on a command line would look like this